Now that Michele Bachmann herself has decided to throw fuel on the fire, and this issue has become national news, we as leaders within the South Carolina tea party movement feel we must speak out to defend our integrity.

The South Carolina tea parties have a well-developed network and history of working together on statewide campaigns and legislative issues, and we are disappointed and angry that the Bachmann campaign is using this negative strategy in an attempt to divide us.

Speaker Gingrich has often said that he has one opponent – Barack Obama. He is right, because we must be unified as a team if we are to defeat President Obama and restore Constitutional government from the ground up.

When the Presidential campaigns leave our state on January 22, we will continue to work together to make South Carolina the freest state in the nation. There is support for many presidential campaigns among our organizations, but contrary to the inaccuracies being spread by the Bachmann campaign, there is no Bachmann/Gingrich war amongst our members.

Some of us may disagree on our choices, but those disagreements will not divide us, despite the attempts by Michele Bachmann and her campaign.

There are many Tea Party leaders who have decided to support Gingrich as a candidate. While 3 of them went on to join his staff, the vast majority of them are volunteers. We encourage our members and leaders to get involved at every level with campaigns, even staff positions. What better way to have an impact on those candidates!